Packer



Sept, 20,

PACKER Filed May 16, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MTNESS Patented Sept. 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM ALTER 'HARTMAN,

PATENT OFFICE.

01? LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PACKEB.

Application filed May 16, 1925. Serial No. 30,727.

longitudinal distortion that the packer is ordinarily subjected to by the load.

- Another object of my lnvention is to provide a packer made of relatively flexible material, but so reinforced by a metallic reinforcement as to permit radial expansion between its extremlties but to resist longitudinal compression.

Some features of my invention are applicable to pistons generally and may be used in umps as well as swabs: This is particular y true of my general form of reinforced packer, which I desire to protect broadly as to all its uses.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed descri tion and the appended claims.

T e accompanylng drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my swab,

with parts broken away and with the casing shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of my swab on a slightly smaller scale and showing some additional parts not shown as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line :0, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on lme 00*, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a modified form of my packer shown with some of its coopcrating parts. I

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of my swab e nipped with the modified packer shown in ig. 5, and with some parts of the swab broken away.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 00 Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line as, Fig. 6. The usual tubing or well casing 1 is made in sections having couplings 2 provided therein.

The top of m swab'may be formed with a threaded coup head 3 adapted to screw into the lower eiid of the usual string of tools. These tools are not shown in the drawin because they are well known well rig equipment. A bolt 4 threads intothe bot-tom of the coupling head 3 and is provided with a head 5. v The bolt loosely extends through the end of a sleeve 6 which swivels on the head 5.

A plurality of ports 7 extend through the side of the sleeve. At its lower end the sleeve 6 is fastened to a stem or pipe 8, which depends therefrom, and a ball check 9 seats on an appropriate seat, which may be the top of pipe 8 as shown.

:A, tip or guide 10 is threaded to the bottom of the pipe 8, the outer surface of which may be suitably tapered to guide the swab in the well.

A packer 11 is mounted on pipe 8 as shown in the figures.

The purpose of this packer is to act as a seal, and I prefer to make it of some flexible material like rubber, fabric, leather or the like. Also though the packer may have any general shape to suit the tastes of the designer or user, yet I prefer a packer having one or both ends of reduced diameter so that the metallic and plates 12 may be preferably cup shaped, as shown in Figs; 1, 4, 5 and 6.

The form of cup that I have shown on the drawings circumferentially embraces the packer at its extremity and resists expansion of the packer radially at the extremlty. If an upper on is used it may have some arrangement a out it that will allow fluid to freely pass into the internal bore of thepacker to expand the latter by fluid pressure during operation, and the provision which I have shown for this purpose. includes the radial fluid grooves 13 and the circumferential groove 14 on they upper face of this cup, which, in conjunction with the fact that the bore 15 of this cup may be a little larger than pipe 8, and that flutes or" grooves 16 may be formed in pipe 8, produces an obvious channel whereby the fluid above the packer may transmit its pressure to the inside of the packer to expand it.

Other modes of introducing this fluid into the packer may be used, but I have found the above quite suitable. If the packer and upper cup should for any reason rise till the to 'of this cup contacts with the lower face of sleeve 6, the fluid can still find its way through the channel into the bore of the acker.

Though I am aware that the lower cup can be formed the same as the upper cup, excepting perhaps that the grooves 13 should be omitted, nevertheless I prefer to arrange the lower cup a little differently. At the place where the pipe or stem 8 passes through the lower cup I prefer to reduce the dlameter of the stem so as to form a downwardly facing shoulder 17, and the stem may be threaded from a point below this shoulder to the lower extremity. The hole in the lower cup is then made small enou so the cup seats against the shoulder 1 and nut 18 and lock nut 19 are provided for securely holding this cup up against this seat or shoulder; and for supporting the load during operation.

In connection with packer 11, and preferably embedded therein, I provide a metallic reinforcement 20, constructed to permit radial expansion of the packer for allowmg effective sealing, and yet constructed to resist longitudinal compression and distortion of the packer under load.

Packers not having such metallic rein forcement forresisting the longitudinal distortion caused by the load, wear and cut out rapidly at the bottom just above the lower cup or equivalent part.

The reason for this appears to be that the weight of the load plus the excessive friction which a longitudinally compressed packer sets up while rising through the well tubing or casin 1, has a peculiar accumulating compresslve action which soon wears or cuts the packer away at the bottom.

I have discovered that a metallic reinforcement can be embedded in the packer in such manner as to resist this longitudinal compression and distortion, and when this is done it either completely eliminates or else greatly retards the cutting or wearing away of the packer at the bottom.

To reinforce against longitudinal compression iscperhaps more important than to provide for automatic radial expansion by the fluid pressure, as the packer can be shaped a little differently than I have shown and made of sufficient diameter to nicely fill and seal the tubing 1, and such a packer, with the metallic reinforcement, will e quite durable and effective, without radial fluid expansion, although I prefer the latter feature as it is more positive in its sealing action.

My invention of a metallic reinforcement embedded in the packer for resistin and minimizing longitudinal or vertical istortion, is broadly new, and results in greatl increasin the life and durability of suc packers, t ereby decreasing the expense and annoyance of replacin them so frequently.

The precise form of t is metallic reinforcement can: be varied to suit the tastes of the designer, and although I have here illustrated my preferred form of reinforcement, it is understood that other forms including the modifications thereof shown in my 00- dition it is stiff vertically, but somewhat flexible radially in view of its length, a condition which is also true of the modified reinforcements shown in my above mentioned copending application.

t also can be nicely moulded into the packer, allowing the packer material to be continuous all around each vertical le or the wire, and this together with the ful thickness of the packer at its center of height, gives a united construction resulting in a durable packer with lots of material to withstand the slow gradual rate at which it now wears.

The form of packer shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is symmetrical, and therefore after running it in one position for a considerable time it can be turnedupside down and run a considerable time longer in such reverse position.

The form of packer shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, is a little different, a ring 21 being used in place of the cup shown in Figs. 1 and 2; also the to of the metallic reinforcement 20 is below t e level of this ring, which permits a little freer radial expansion if that should be desired, and the bottom of the reinforcement may come down close to the bottom of the packer. Also if the expedient of internal fluid expansion for the packer is used, the fluid may be given free access to a large portion of the internal sur face of the acker by coring the same out for a distance etween its ends as shown at 22 Fig. 6, in, place of making the entire bore of the packer of slightly larger diameter than the pipe 8, as shown at23, Fig. 2. These and other alternative or equivalent modifications can be used interchangeably as may be desired.

In operation the swab is lowered into the well and into the fluid standing therein. The liquid passes upwardly through ide 10,

pipe 8, past the ball 9, and throug 1 ports 7- out into that portion of the casing or tubing 1 which is above the swab. In an obvious manner some of this fluid will settle back through grooves 16 in pipe 8 into the inside of packer 11, and when the swab is raised all the fluid above it will be lifted. The pressure of this fluid will then be transmitted-to the inside of the packer ex anding same till it seals the casing, if it oes not already do so. By lifting the swab to the top of the well, the entire column of fluid Inn site extremity during the operation of the above it is ejected from the well, after which the swab is again lowered for the purpose of bringing up another load, and so on in accordance with usual swabbing procedure. Subject matter of invention shown but not claimed in this applicatlon' is reserved and claimed in m above said copending application Serial umber 26,171, filed April 27, 1925, to which reference is hereby made.

I claim: a 1. A packer having a hole passing axlally therethroughand an exterior surface elongated in the direction of said axis, and meof said dinally.

tallic reinforcing means molded into said packer to form "a part thereof, said metallic reinforcing means having a longitudinally rigid lengthwise portion extending substantially parallel to the axis of said packer and terminating short of the forward extremity packer to make same strong longitu- 2. A packer having a hole passing axially -therethrough and an exterior wearmg portion, said packer being adapted to expand radially when fluid pressure is applied to its inner surface, and metallic reinforcing means permanently embedded in said packer to make same strong longitudinally, said metallic reinforcing means having a longitudinally rigid len hwise portion extending substantially para el to the axis of said packer and having a supporting shoulder 5 embedded in said packer therethrough permanent comprising wire looped 'back' and forth beextremity thereof to effectively resist compression of that extremity toward the oppopacker, v

3. A packer having a hole passing axially metallic reinforcing means y embedded in said'packer and vtween the ends of said packer in a practically continuous path around said packer,

4. A packer having a hole passing axially therethrough, reinforcin means permanent- 1y embedded in said pac er and comprising wire looped back and forth between the ends of said packer in a ractically continuous path around saidpac er, said packer being low'the forward substantially symmetrical about a plane passing centrally through it. at right angles means permanently molded into said packer.

and comprising wlre looped back and forth between the ends of said packer to make same strong longitudinally.

7. A packer having a holepassing axially therethrough, two ends and an' exterior wearing portion, and metallic reinforcing means permanently embedded in said packer, said reinforcing means comprising elongated loops of wire lengthwise embedded in said packer between the two ends thereof.

8. A packerhaving a hole passing axially therethrough, said packer being of reduced external diameter at both ends and having an exterior wearing portion of enlarged diameter a proximately midwa between said ends, an a radially yieldable but longitu dinally stifi metallic reinforcing means permanently imbedded in said packer between its ends.-

9. A packer having a hole passing axially therethrough, said packer being of reduced external diameter. at both ends and having an exterior wearing portion of enlarged diameter approximately midway between said ends, and a longitudinally stiff metallic reinforcement, permanently imbedded lengthwise in said packer and terminating short of the end thereof, said reinforcement being adapted to make said packer strong longitudinally.

In testimon whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand at s Angeles, California, this 8th day of May, 1925.

WILLIAM WALTER HARTMAN. 

